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Home , Battle of Harem, Free Syrian Army, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah, Mohammad Ali Jafari

gambles all in Syria The Lebanese group has risen to become a pivotal force in the Syrian conflict. But some supporters fear it is being dragged into a it cannot win

BY SAMIA NAKHOUL

COMMANDING HEIGHTS: A poster showing Sayyed , leader of Hezbollah, hangs from a balloon sent aloft in by his supporters in 2006. In recent years, the group has come to dominate . /JAMAL SAIDI

BEIRUT, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 Hezbollah chief to his financial and ideological masters, the photograph captured a turning point n the photograph the two robed men stand shoul- in Syria’s civil war and the broader struggle between der-to-shoulder, one tall and erect, the other more Sunnis and Shi’ites, the two main branches of . Iheavyset. Both smile for the camera. The picture It was the moment when made public its de- from is a rare record of Iran’s Supreme Leader sire for Hezbollah to join the battle to help save meeting Sayyed Hassan Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, diplomats said. Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, the Lebanese At the time, Assad and his Alawite sect, an offshoot Shi’ite group. of Shi’ite Islam, were losing ground to an advancing Taken in April during a discreet visit by the Sunni insurgency.

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Within days of returning home, Nasrallah gave a televised speech making it clear that Hezbollah would fight along- side Assad to prevent Syria falling “into the hands” of Sunni jihadi radicals, the and . The very survival of the Shi’ites was at stake, he said. Soon afterwards, fighters from Hezbollah – which until then had largely stayed out of its neighbour’s civil war – en- tered Syria. In June they helped Assad’s forces recapture the strategic town of Qusair and other territory, turning the war in Assad’s favour. Regional security officials told Reuters there are now between 2,000 and 4,000 Hezbollah fighters, experts and reservists in Syria. One Lebanese security official said a central command in Iran led by the Revolutionary Guards directs Hezbollah WELL-ARMED: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, seen here with bodyguards last year, operations in Syria in close coordina- heads an organization with an estimated 7,000 fighters and 20,000 reservists. REUTERS/SHARIF HARIM tion with the Syrian authorities. Another source said Hezbollah had “hit ” of highly trained fighters in Syria whose task I know that the Lebanese secretary general of the party and I know is to assassinate military leaders among the in Hezbollah, and Sayyed Hassan that the decision is Iranian, and the alterna- Sunni rebels. Nasrallah more than anyone, are tive would have been a confrontation with Hezbollah declined to comment for not convinced about this war. the Iranians,” Tufayli, who fell out with Iran this report on its involvement in Syria. and his former group, told Reuters at his Nasrallah has previously said it is necessary Sheikh Subhi al-Tufayli home in the Eastern Bekaa Valley near the for Hezbollah to fight Sunni radicals allied a former leader of Hezbollah, referring to the Syrian border. “I know that the Lebanese in to al Qaeda. group’s involvement in Syria Hezbollah, and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Officials in Iran did not respond to more than anyone, are not convinced about requests for comment. Last week, Iran’s this war.” foreign ministry spokeswoman, Marzieh members of the group, the fight is an ex- Such doubts are repeated across the Afkham, said that Iran had no official istential one. Middle East. Shi’ite groups, clerics and military presence in Syria, but was pro- Reuters has learned that a few voices communities in places such as are viding humanitarian assistance. Last within Hezbollah, which is considered a struggling with whether to back Assad or September, , head terrorist organisation by the United States not. of the Revolutionary Guards, said some and Europe, opposed joining the conflict in But the critical voices were ignored and members of Iran’s elite were in Syria. Two prominent members feared in- eventually silenced. “Even if (Hezbollah) Syria but that it did not constitute “a mili- tervention would drag Hezbollah and the has its wise men, the decision (to fight in tary presence.” Shi’ite community into a quagmire; they Syria) is not theirs,” said a Lebanese secu- Hezbollah’s role in Syria has ramifica- questioned where the group would draw rity official who, like most people Reuters tions not just in its home in Lebanon but the line after Qusair. spoke to for this report, would not be across the region. If Assad wins, Iran’s influ- Sheikh Subhi al-Tufayli, who led named. “The decision is for those who cre- ence along the shores of the Mediterranean Hezbollah from 1989 to 1991, said the de- ated and established it. They are obliged to will grow. If he loses, Hezbollah and Iran’s cision to intervene had been entirely down follow Iran’s orders.” reach will likely be damaged. For some to the of Iran. “I was A Lebanese politician summed up the

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point, saying: “Nasrallah is not going to say ‘No’ to someone who has given him $30 A complicated patchwork billion over the past 30 years.” The Middle East’s mix of Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims and other groups fuels tensions STRIKE FORCE The paramilitary group – its name means ETHNIC-RELIGIOUS AREAS IN SELECT COUNTRIES the Party of God in – was origi- nally conceived at the Iranian embassy in in 1982. Its main aim was to fight Israeli forces that had invaded IRAN Lebanon that year. It became notorious for suicide-bomb- ings, kidnappings and hijackings as it drove Israel back towards its border with Lebanon; it also pushed U.S. and European SYRIA forces out of Beirut following the Israeli in- Qusair vasion and during Iran’s war against Iraq, LEBANON which the West had armed and backed. Damascus Hezbollah came to serve as a subcon- Baghdad tractor buttressing the strategic interests of ISRAEL its Iranian paymasters, forming a military IRAQ front with Syria and Iran against Israel and the United States. Domestically, it spear- headed the rise of Lebanese Shi’ites from an underclass community to, by some lights, the most powerful sect in the country. Its paramilitary forces are now more 100 miles powerful than the Lebanese army and even 100 km some Arab armies, regional experts say. It has an Iranian-trained strike force numbering Shi'ite Muslims Sunni Muslims around 7,000, with some 20,000 reservists, according to security officials and diplomats. Sources: M. Izady – Gulf/2000 Project; Columbia University; Reuters. In Syria, the discipline and training of Hezbollah fighters paid off most signifi- cantly in June, when Assad’s regime re- captured the town of Qusair, about 10 km who declined to be identified said. military observer. (6 miles) from the Lebanese border. A re- The group has beefed up its presence The regional security source said: “In gional security official said: “(The battle for) around the capital Damascus, the border these places, Hezbollah is hunkering down Qusair was basically a Hezbollah operation, area and the city of , which is strate- in fixed positions because it understands from the planning to the handling of key gically located between Damascus and the that the fighting will be protracted and will systems. It is our understanding mountain heartland of Assad’s minority shape its fate in Lebanon. Its actions are the Hezbollah crews were even operating Alawite sect. taken in full coordination with the Syrian Syrian T-55 and T-54 there, as well Its main task is to prevent rebel groups, military, and Iranian experts provide it with as all significant systems, anti- mainly Sunni jihadis linked to al Qaeda, military and technological assistance.” missiles and so on.” such as the al-Nusra Front, from enter- Hezbollah is also putting down roots in Since then, Hezbollah has expanded its ing the heart of the capital. “It is (Shi’ite) Bosra al-Sham, south of Damascus, and deployment in Syria to every area where Hezbollah versus (Sunni) al-Nusra Front other places on the Syrian side of the Golan rebels are present, a regional security source and other jihadis now in Syria,” said one Heights, a strategic plateau in southwestern

SPECIAL REPORT 3 SYRIA HEZBOLLAH GAMBLES ALL REUTERS/RAMI BLEIBLE AZAKIRREUTERS/MOHAMED STRATEGIC GAIN: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, pictured above in and near the town of Qusair in June, recaptured the area from rebel groups with the help of Hezbollah fighters .

Syria occupied by Israel, said the source. difficulty, given the control that the Syrian everything from health and education to The group wants to prevent being regime and Hezbollah wield over the bor- pensions and housing. sent from Lebanon to rebels in Syria, and der crossings, the source said. As well as penetrating the army and to stop rebels moving the other way. To do The Iranian Revolutionary Guards security services, it places allies in every so, it sets up ambush points and lays mines Corps and Quds force, and the Syrian mil- significant ministry, government office, or on cross-border routes, said the regional se- itary high command, operate a war room state-owned enterprise and key institu- curity source. to coordinate and Hezbollah tions, according to Lebanese political and “Where in the past Hezbollah deploy- operations. This war room was initially re- security sources. ment in Syria was focused on protecting sponsible for deploying Hezbollah fighters At the Beirut harbour, Hezbollah has a Shi’ite populations, now it is everywhere there in Syria on specific operations. But more dock of its own, according to two Lebanese is fighting with the rebels,” said the source. recently, “Hezbollah was ... given responsi- security sources. Shi’ite merchants linked Hezbollah fighters serve as the prime bility over geographical areas as well as over to Hezbollah bring consignments through instructors for the Syrian militias that pro- security installations,” said the source. the dock to avoid paying custom duties, sell vide Assad’s most loyal forces, said the same them at prices lower than competitors, and SECURE BASE source. “Hezbollah also has hit squads, co- donate some of the profits to the group, the vert units selected from among its best Supporting its fighters in Syria is security and political sources said. fighters and trained by Iranians, whose Hezbollah’s network of political and com- In addition, the group has investments mission is to assassinate Sunni opposition mercial interests in Lebanon. The group in Lebanon and abroad, including con- leaders and commanders now has 12 seats in Lebanon’s parliament, struction, supermarkets, petrol stations, in Damascus and ,” he said. two ministers in the current caretaker cabi- and industry projects. “They have their Hezbollah did not comment on its in- net, a radio and satellite television station, own money-laundering operations,” one volvement in Syria. and a community network that provides Lebanese politician said. “They legalise hot As well as its standard weapons, money through high cash-generating busi- Hezbollah is using new arms, mostly from nesses and front companies such as real Iran, that are flown in to Damascus or If Hezbollah wants to form estate, cell phone shops, valet parking com- Beirut. Hezbollah has also received weap- a government (in Lebanon) then panies and religious foundations.” ons from the Syrian army, including flame it will be formed; if they don’t, Former U.S. Treasury official Matthew throwers, said the source. it won’t. Levitt, a fellow at the Washington Institute Weapons are moved from Lebanon and author of the forthcoming “Hezbollah: into Syria with high frequency and little A Western diplomat in the region The Global Footprint of Lebanon’s Party

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of God,” said the group is engaged in a broad array of illicit activities, from coun- Battle for control in Syria terfeiting currencies, documents and goods to credit card fraud, money-laundering, WHO’S IN Mostly government Mostly rebel Kurds CONTROL arms smuggling and narcotics trafficking. Contested Al Qaeda-linked groups Hezbollah, one investigator quipped, is like the “Gambinos on steroids.” TURKEY Hezbollah has regularly denied such allegations. Ras al-Ain Politically, Hezbollah can make or break Tel Abyad Tammam Salam, the Sunni politician tasked in April with forming a new govern- Aleppo ment in Lebanon. The group enjoys a veto on all policy decisions – a power it secured after a long standoff between it and the Deir al-Zor Sunni-led government which began after Mediterra- the 2006 war with Israel. nean Sea Homs “If Hezbollah wants to form a govern- SYRIA ment then it will be formed; if they don’t, it won’t. They are the most powerful force on the ground. They are more powerful than LEBANON the state,” said a Western diplomat. Damascus IRAQ Hezbollah’s creeping hegemony in Lebanon began after the 2005 killing of Golan Deraa former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, a Heights JORDAN 25 miles Sunni Muslim billionaire who used money, ISRAEL 50 km influence and international clout to win support across Lebanon’s sectarian divides. Source: Reuters Hariri, who had close links to Saudi Arabia and the West, was assassinated in Beirut by a in which U.N. inves- tigators saw the trademark handiwork of involvement in Syria, Hezbollah gunmen, Syria, and for which four Hezbollah mem- dressed in black and armed with handguns, bers were subsequently indicted. None of $800 million charged the crowd, killing one protester. the four has been arrested. The group de- Funding experts say that CAR BOMB REPRISALS nies any involvement in the killing. Hariri’s killing prompted an interna- Hezbollah receives each year from Syria presents wider risks. Under Nasrallah, tional outcry which forced Hezbollah’s ally Iran. Estimates range from $800 Hezbollah initially tried to maintain a bal- Syria to end its 29-year military presence million to $ 1 billion. ance between its role in Lebanon and its in Lebanon. But it also removed from the ambitions as an Islamist vanguard of Iran scene the one man who could have chal- Source: regional security official in the region. The intervention in Syria has lenged Hezbollah’s dominance. ended this ambiguity, placing Hezbollah “If he were still alive, he would have had executed by Hezbollah elements without in the frontline of the regional conflict the majority in government and the position Nasrallah’s knowledge. between the Western-backed Sunni Arab of (Hezbollah) would have been difficult,” Hezbollah has shown itself unwilling to powers and Shi’ite Iran. said Tufayli, the former Hezbollah leader. countenance the smallest threat. In June when The chaos threatens to unleash sectarian The Lebanese security figure said Hariri unarmed Shi’ites protested outside the Iranian demons from Beirut to Baghdad. Reprisals was killed in a joint Iranian-Syrian plan embassy in Beirut against Iran’s military against Hezbollah have already begun: In

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May, rockets were fired at the Hezbollah- controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, and Hezbollah’s rise since then several car bombs have exploded in Lebanon. Suspected attacks by the paramilitary group “Hezbollah entered a Sunni-Shi’ite con- and other key events in its evolution: flict declaring , so they should expect counter-jihad in return,” said one Sunni 1983 Suicide bomb attacks against U.S. opposition figure. embassies and American and French barracks in Be irut killed over 258 Americans, A large chunk of society including 241 military personnel, and 58 French . MOURNED: Lebanese Muslim girls hold pictures is rallying behind Hezbollah of the country’s former prime minister Rafik because they regard their ties to 1984 William Buckley, CIA station chief in al-Hariri, whose assassination in 2005 helped it as existential. They say ‘we are Beirut, kidnapped. Died while in captivity in Hezbollah increase its influence.REUTERS/ with it whether it goes to heaven 1985. Car bomb exploded at U.S. embassy DAMIR SAGOLJ or hell. annexe in Beirut, 24 killed. 2006 Hezbollah crossed the border into Ali al-Amin 1985 American TWA airliner hijacked Israel, kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and a Shi’ite columnist and critic of Hezbollah en route from Athens to Beirut. One killed others, sparking a five-week war. passenger, U.S. Navy diver Robert Tufayli, the former Hezbollah leader, Stethem, was shot dead and his body 2008 Hezbollah security chief Imad said the group’s intervention in Syria was a dumped on the runway at Beirut airport. Moughniyeh, who was wanted by the United fatal miscalculation. The conflict, he said, is The eventual release of the hostages was States and indicted by Argentina for the becoming a sectarian that minor- followed by the release of 735 Lebanese Buenos Aires attacks, was assassinated in ity Shi’ites will never win. Shi’ite prisoners by Israel. Damascus. “Until recently, I had thought that armed resistance (against Israel) is a top priority 1988 U.S. Marine William Higgins 2011 The U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for and a precious goal... Those seeking to for- kidnapped while working as a United Lebanon indicted four senior members of tify the resistance should not drag it into Nations peacekeeper in . Hezbollah for the murder of Hariri. Nasrallah war between Sunnis and Shi’ites... That Executed 1989. said the authorities would not be able to find strife will consume everybody,” he said. them. The suspects remain at large. 1992 Israel killed Hezbollah chief Abbas SPENDING BILLIONS Musawi; Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah became 2012 A Lebanese man with links to The war is imposing huge costs on both the group’s leader. Israeli embassy in Hezbollah was detained by police in Cyprus Hezbollah and Iran, which is already under Argentina bombed, 29 killed. on suspicion of planning attacks against crippling international sanctions because of Israeli tourists. The man, who confessed its nuclear ambitions. 1994 Jewish community centre in Buenos during questioning, was in possession of A regional security official with access Aires bombed, 85 killed. photographs of Israeli targets, and planned to current intelligence assessments put to blow up a plane or tour bus. Hezbollah’s annual income at between 1997 United States designated Hezbollah a $800 million and $1 billion, with 70-90 terrorist organisation. The Bulgarian government accused percent coming from Iran, the amount Hezbollah of blowing up an Israeli tourist partly depending on the price of oil. The 2005 Former Lebanese Prime Minister bus in Burgas. Five Israelis, the Bulgarian group’s remaining funds come through pri- Rafik al-Hariri killed when a massive bomb bus driver, and the bomber were killed. vate Shi’ite donors, “protection rackets and exploded as his motorcade travelled through business and mafia networks in Lebanon,” Beirut; 21 others also died. Hariri’s death 2013 Hezbollah fighters moved into Syria in said the source. paved the way for Hezbollah to increase its force to aid President Bashar al-Assad’s army Apart from its involvement in Syria, influence in Lebanon. against Sunni rebels.

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ARC OF INFLUENCE: Protestors in Syria in 2010 carry posters of, from left, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Syria’s President Bashar al- Assad and Hezbollah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Cooperation between the three turned the tide of the conflict in Syria.REUTERS/KHALED AL-HARIRI

Hezbollah pays salaries to 60,000-80,000 And the price is not just financial: Editing by Richard Woods and Simon people working for charities, schools, clin- Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria has hurt Robinson ics and other institutions in addition to its support at home. “There isn’t a single vil- its military and security apparatus, other lage in the south that has not lost a member Shi’ite sources said. (in Syria),” said Ali al-Amin, a Shi’ite col- Other security sources said Hezbollah is umnist and a critic of Hezbollah. FOR MORE INFORMATION now receiving additional funds dedicated Most Lebanese Shi’ites, though, still Samia Nakhoul, Middle East Editor to the Syrian war. “Syria is sucking up Iran’s support the group. “A large chunk of society [email protected] reserves, with the Islamic Republic paying is rallying behind Hezbollah because they Richard Woods, Senior Editor, Enterprise between $600-700 million a month (just regard their ties to it as existential,” said and Investigations, EMEA towards the cost of fighting in Syria),” said Amin. “They say ‘we are with it whether it [email protected] a top Lebanese security official. Those fig- goes to hell or heaven.’” Michael Williams, Global Enterprise Editor ures could not be confirmed. [email protected]

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